McTominay Scores As Napoli Beat Cagliari To Win Serie A Title

Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay scored a spectacular scissor-kick volley to help Napoli beat Cagliari and take the club to their fourth Serie A title.

With second-placed Inter Milan leading 2-0 at Como, Napoli had to win to finish top of Serie A, with their supporters creating a sensational atmosphere at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

After the hosts dominated the opening stages, McTominay, who joined Napoli from Manchester United in a £25.7m move in August, made the breakthrough when he acrobatically connected with Matteo Politano’s right-wing cross.

Napoli knew a victory would see them become Italian champions for the second time in three seasons and Romelu Lukaku sealed it as he showed great strength and pace to hold off a challenge from Michel Adopo and slot the ball past Alen Sherri for the hosts’ second.

That goal sparked great scenes of celebration with the Napoli substitutes and coaching staff running on to the pitch, while Lukaku received a yellow card for taking his shirt off.

The rest of the match was played in a party mood as Napoli celebrated becoming Italian champions again having done so in 1986-87, 1989-90 and 2022-23.

Conte wins Serie A title with third different club

As well as those in the stadium, tens of thousands of people watched the game in the centre of Naples with fireworks beginning to be let off minutes before the end of the match.

Napoli boss Antonio Conte had to watch from the stands as he served a suspension after being sent off against Parma but was quickly out with his team at the final whistle. McTominay was seen in tears at the end of the match before euphoric celebrations.

For Conte, he has now won the Serie A title with three different sides after three Scudettos in charge of Juventus and another at Inter.

McTominay and fellow Scotland international Billy Gilmour both started for Napoli, who nearly took a fifth-minute lead only for Giacomo Raspadori’s strike across goal to go just wide.

Gilmour was denied by visiting goalkeeper Alen Sherri with Politano shooting the rebound over before Amir Rrahmani also had a strike saved as the hosts piled on the pressure.

Lukaku had an effort blocked by defender Yerry Mina, Mathias Olivera headed wide and Leonardo Spinazzola had two shots charged down.

But McTominay settled any nerves with his stunning goal, with a host of fireworks and flares let off by the home fans, with clouds of smoke drifting over the pitch for the rest of the first half.

Six minutes into the second half, Lukaku, who played for Chelsea, West Brom, Everton and Manchester United and also won a Serie A title with Inter, sealed the win with a fine individual goal.

He collected Rrahmani’s long ball and was too strong and too fast for former Everton centre-back Mina and Adapo before his superb finish sealed a fine individual goal.

There had been a chance the Serie A title would have been decided by a one-off play-off, but that would have only happened if the top two teams had finished level on points, so Napoli would have had to have lost with Inter drawing.

For Inter, they will have a week to focus on the Champions League final on Saturday, 31 May when they take on Paris St-Germain at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.

Bbc.com